DINING OUT; It's Tuscan, From Risotto to the Details

AURORA, a polished trattoria in the heart of this village's shopping district, is the latest addition to Ramze Zakka's fief of popular Tuscan themed restaurants. There's a formula at work, but it's a formula aimed at a discerning suburban crowd, and it includes plum details like a wood-fired oven, roasted fingerling potatoes and Antinori Chianti Riserva by the glass.

The 20-something's might be content with sandwiches at the nearby Cosi, but the grownups have found a new place to eat. Aurora presents a handsome façade, with a full bank of burnished French doors capped by sleek white awnings. Inside, the coved ceilings are painted sky blue, hand-blown glass fixures look like suspended jack-in-the-pulpits, and the upholstered banquettes have voluptuous curves. Wire vortexes serve as bread baskets, and the Champagne flutes are stemless. The enterprise is highly designed, but the overall effect, more Vespa than Ferrari, is stylish, sexy and fun.

The kitchen shows a lot of confidence, and the menu for late autumn and early winter is built around rich, earthy fundamentals. Risotto made with shrimp, wild mushrooms and diced pumpkin was bound together with a good meaty stock. A delicious wine-dark lamb shank had grace notes of curly endive and a splash of vinegar. In counterpoint to the sturdier fare, there were seared diver scallops paired with dainty asparagus, thin folds of prosciutto and brisk pomegranate dressing, and delicate tuna tartare with fresh fennel and sweet orange slices. Other notable appetizers included a fritto misto of calamari, shrimp and scallops, slivered endive with creamy Gorgonzola and sweet accents of pear and fig, beef carpaccio punctuated with roasted capers, and mozzarella en Carrozza, a lovely version of a toasted cheese sandwich for adults.

Pizzas from the wood-fired oven drew mixed reviews. The pizza margherita was rated better than average, and a child admonished to eat half ate the whole thing. My children especially liked two pastas: a playful mix of strozzapreti, sweet sausage, baby peas, and tomato cream, and a tangle of spaghetti coated with rich, tomatoey duck ragout.

Two entrees roasted in the wood oven were particularly flavorful: a golden-crusted sea bass served with butternut squash and porcini mushrooms, and a bronze-skinned chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes and a salad of tiny parsley sprigs. Roasted quail was stuffed with too many herbs but was worth ordering for its heady black truffle sauce and a side of mascarpone polenta.

A cavil: the food wasn't as sharp on a Sunday night as on a previous Saturday. Perhaps, the chef's night off? Focaccia was dull, corona beans were undercooked, and scaloppine of monkfish were too heavily floured and too gently sautéed, producing a gummy effect. On the same night, four big maple-scented candles had the restaurant smelling like a pancake house.

The short, solid wine list has a special place in its heart for Tuscan reds. I sensed the management wasn't fully on top of the cellar: We ordered a 1999 Argyle pinot noir from Oregon, but had to decline the 2000 brought by our waiter. Vintages are not interchangeable. The sole Barolo on the list was sold out. A good bet is the 2000 Antinori Chianti Riserva by the glass ($12) or a full bottle ($48). A nice splurge is the 1999 Clos du Bois Marlstone ($85), a Bordeaux style blend with hints of cherry and tobacco.

Desserts included a pedestrian warm chocolate cake and a heavy espresso-laden tiramisù. Instead, I preferred the warm bread pudding with its fragrant apples and light caramel sauce, or classic gelati in vanilla, chocolate, fig or pistachio.

Aurora

60 Purchase Street, Rye,

(914)921-2333.

VERY GOOD

Atmosphere -- Stylish Italian trattoria with an easy elegance. French doors open to the street in fine weather. Four seats facing the wood burning oven and kitchen beyond are like box seats at a theater

The Ratings -- Excellent. Very good. Good. Satisfactory. Poor. Ratings reflect the reviewer's reaction primarily to food, with ambience and service taken into consideration. Menu listings and prices are subject to change.